PORTS
An interface port is a socket on the outside of the PC's case that allows you to connect external devices such as keyboards, mice, printers, scanners, digital cameras and joysticks. You can purchase circuit cards to add additional ports, but only if you have slots available and your motherboard supports this type of upgrade.
Keyboard/mouse portMany systems have ports for plugging in a keyboard and mouse or other device.
Serial portSerial ports can only accommodate one device at a time, and they're slow compared to USB ports.
Joystick/game portThese ports are now used for older joysticks and other gaming devices that aren't compatible with any of the newer interfaces.
USB 1.1Most PCs come with at least one USB port. USB ports are the most popular type of port, and allow for high-speed communication (up to 12Mbps) between external devices and your computer. Printers, scanners, digital cameras and many other peripherals use this port. USB-compatible devices may be connected to your PC through the USB port on the back of the computer or through a USB hub.
USB 2.0An upgrade of USB 1.1, USB 2.0 boasts a 480Mbps data transfer rate. USB 2.0, also called High-Speed USB, is compatible with CD and DVD drives, USB 2.0 features total backward compatibility with the older interface. The 2.0 interface requires a PCI adapter card for PCs, and a PCMIA card for notebook computers to allow for the massive amount of data transfer.
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IEEE1394It goes by several different names; Sony, for example, calls it i.Link™, and Apple calls it FireWire®. IEEE1394 ports and cables are designed to transmit images and video in a purely digital format between your system and other devices, such as a digital camcorders and cameras. This interface runs slightly slower than USB 2.0 at 400Mbps, but is essential for anyone interested in digital imaging applications.